In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins and Lucas Pasch tackle three major developments shaping the AI landscape. First, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek stuns the industry by building a model rivaling OpenAI’s best on a fraction of the budget—raising questions of innovation versus imitation. Then, the U.S. government makes its biggest AI bet yet with Project Stargate, a $500 billion initiative designed to supercharge AI infrastructure and global competitiveness. Finally, OpenAI unveils Operator, the first AI assistant that doesn’t just respond—it takes action, signaling a future where AI handles real-world tasks autonomously. Join Mike and Lucas as they break down what these breakthroughs mean for the future of AI and competition on a global scale.

To Learn More:

• Alumni Ventures (AV)
• AV LinkedIn
• AV AI Fund
• AV Foundation Fund
• Tech Optimist

Legal Disclosure:

• https://av-funds.com/tech-optimist-disclosures

Creators & Guests

• Shail Highbloom - Producer
• Sam Herrick - Producer
• Keith Murphy - Producer
• Jeannie Masters - Producer
• Mike Collins - Host
• Lucas Pasch - Guest